The Unfortunate

did not hesitate to conclude, “He would rather see me cleaning shit from stables and muck from his boots!”
“You know this displeasure, and you would still defy him?”
“Without second thought.”
“To what extent?” Her tone was both curious and flirtatious.
He shrugged as his pulse again quickened. “Something that would displease my father. Something forbidden. It would have to be worth the risk.”
“Such as?”
“Forget this life, marry the woman I love, and begin anew.”
“Me? Your wife?”
“My exact words were the woman I love.” He chuckled and had to scurry backward to avoid being slapped.
“Seriously, Banan. Where would we go?”
“Perhaps Drunacht.”
“I shall never return to my native land.”
He had expected such a response. On previous occasions he had mentioned Jenn’s homeland, and she had always answered the same. The prince had never understood the woman’s reluctance. Of course the reason she had left, or rather had been taken away from, Drunacht was equally as mysterious. “But you can,” he continued to persist.
“But I shall not!”
“Then someplace where no one will ever find us.”
The conversation, at least for Banan, had entered a speculative phase. No longer was he offering realistic suggestions but rather fantasies. That is all his ideas were. Fantasies. At least for the time. Someday they might—no, would—be more. Someday. But when was someday and where was someplace?
Despite her efforts to remain realistic, similar ideas must have consumed Jenn’s thoughts, too, because she nodded. Her smile soon faded, however, and she reminded, “We can jest, but that is all we can do. You and I both know your plans are only dreams. It will never come to anything. It cannot. King Beadurof would never—”
Without any indication the door burst open, and two sworn shields entered.
The young woman shrieked, and to cover her nakedness, she quickly gathered the pile of sheets that had been pushed to the bottom of the bed.
Banan was instantly enraged. “How dare you barge into my chambers unannounced? I am a noble, the heir prince of Armania! What gives you the right?” He continued to rant, pausing only once to wipe spittle from his lips. Not only had the knights acted unconcerned about entering the prince’s chambers without notice or permission, they had also been unmoved by Banan’s outbursts that ceased only when one of the knights interrupted, “Your father requests an audience.”
✽ ✽ ✽
By the time they arrived at the study, everyone had gone except the king. Banan waited by the door and watched one of the sworn shields approach his father. He could not understand the whispers being exchanged, but based on his father’s expression and occasional disapproving glances, he could easily guess.
The conversation lingered several additional moments before the king dismissed the knights, and he waited until the door had closed before expressing a deep sigh. “What have I told you about sneaking whores—?”
“Jenn is no whore,” the prince interrupted.
“Your mother’s handmaiden?”
Rather than answer with a simple, yes, Banan, having realized he was guilty of another questionable act, decided to make the most of the situation by countering, “I am not sure if that title is still appropriate since she is no longer a maiden.”
The remark caused the elder man’s anger to intensify. “When I believed you could not cause me more shame, my sworn shields discover you deflowering a servant!”
Is that all I can do? Cause my father shame? Fine. We shall talk about shame. Banan smiled before replying, “On the contrary. They did not discover us doing any more than talking. We were naked, yes, but all we were doing was talking. Had they arrived earlier or later, there might have been something more to report, but I cannot be certain. Those moments are rather spontaneous. It does not matter, though, because after your knights burst into my chambers, I was no longer in the mood. It was not because I had lost interest. I was no longer—how should I say?—engulfed with passion. That is all.”
His father exhaled and frowned.
Upon hearing his father sigh, Banan paused briefly to observe the king’s building frustration before continuing with his ranting. By this point Banan did not even think about his words. He offered anything that came to mind, true or not, which he knew would only further aggravate his father and give him reason to feel ashamed. “As for the deflowering as you call it, which is a mild way of phrasing it if you would care for my opinion, that occurred several months ago.”
“Banan,” the king expressed gently but still in an authoritative manner.
“Or has it been over a year?”
“Banan!” the elder man again warned, but his words had an insignificant effect.
“Maybe it has been over two.”
“ENOUGH!” The king slammed a fist on his desk. “Were you not second-in-command of my army, I would have you lashed until you begged for death!”
And there was the proof of his father’s discontent and unwillingness to see him advance. Despite all the years of disagreements and despite all the questionable acts, he had never heard his father express such harsh words. And the way the king had muttered, were you not second-in-command of my army, had been with such spite that the statement might as well have been, were you not my son. The words had disturbed Banan, but he did his best to conceal the emotions of disbelief but also disappointment and dejection before inquiring, “So me being your heir signifies nothing?”
The king again sighed. “A son should respect his father. Not live to defy him.”
“How do I defy you?”
“With your actions. There are multiple individuals, it is not only I, who would not hesitate to question your conduct.”
His father continued to speak, but Banan did his best to ignore. Not this again. Not another lecture about my questionable acts.
“All that could be overlooked,” the king continued, having cataloged numerous occasions when Banan had defied him. “But this incident with the servant, that is how you have defied me! That is how you have dishonored me!”
Considering that his father could continue all day with his cataloging of